In reality, Latasha had been carrying the money to pay for the drink in her hand. If you are a current subscriber and have not activated your pdnonline.com access, please provide the following information. [30] Korean immigrant shop-owners had a growing presence in black communities since before the 1970s. Beverly White and Heather Navarro, Family Gathers on 25 Year Anniversary of Latasha Harlins Death, NBC Los Angeles, March 16, 2016; Brenda Stevenson, The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins; Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots, Los Angeles Review of Books, July 23, 2017; Andrea Ford, Settlement Awarded to Harlins Siblings but Not Father, Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1992. Those tensions were later interpreted by some members of the public and activists as being one of the catalysts for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The death of Latasha Harlins, which was recorded on security footage, and the later sentencing and failed appeal, are considered to have contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, especially the targeting of Koreatown, Los Angeles. She had dreams in life. What do you believe that we as a society must do in order to better protect and support Black girls? After speaking to his wife, who asked for the whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1 to report an attempted holdup. Allison, who had only shot documentaries and had no experience directing actors, would first tell the girls what she wanted to show, then simply follow them and observe. She created a script based on her interviews with OBard and Shinese Harlins, choosing recollections and anecdotes that touched the core of Latasha. She wanted the film to draw viewers into Latashas life and portray her girlhood dreams for the future before it revealed how she died. "We got all this racism, hate going on. 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Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the gunshot and rushed into the store. The story of Latasha Harlins, who was killed at age 15, is explored in "A Love Song for Latasha," which scored an Oscar nomination Monday. At the time of her own death in 1991, Latasha was a student at Westchester High School. Surveillance footage showed the girl was shot in the back of the head. In justifying his directive, he said "[t]his was such a stunning miscarriage of justice that Judge Karlin cannot continue to hear criminal cases with any public credibility. Atop these voice-overs, there are photos of Harlins and footage of the South Central community in which Harlins grew up. Photography equipment news and reviews, business and technical advice from top pros, industry news and much more, delivered to your inbox each week. Los Angeles Times/GettyKorean grocer Soon Ja Du in court, after she fatally shot Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. All rights reserved. After these riots, a federal trial saw two of the LAPD officers who beat Rodney King finally serve time for their crimes, although they only ended up serving 30 months in prison. She edited the footage herself every night after she shot, to make sure the puzzle pieces she was gathering fit together. And so thinking about this young Black girl who was taken from everyone, whose life was lost, [I wondered] why this story didnt exist beyond the headline and discussions of trauma and visuals that really produced triggering reactions from the community, from family members and friends that knew her and loved her. I never want to believe that a film will humanize anyone, because I really believe humanizing comes from folks in their own consciousness. And thats the only way for us to really begin to engage with inclusivity. Latashas grandmother was left in charge of her and her two siblings. After a short scuffle, Du grabbed a 0.38-caliber handgun and shot Harlins in the back of her head. There have been conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion within the film and television industry for years now. But was that reaction understandable? [7] The film was released on Netflix on September 21, 2020. [7][9] Their unstable marriage eventually ended in 1983. [39] After the verdict in King's case was delivered, massive riots ensued in Los Angeles, protesting the miscarriage of justice for black victims and racial inequality. Harlins hit Du four times and one of the blows caused Dus eye to swell, Combs said. Two were found guilty, Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon, while two were acquitted. Tensions within the LA neighbourhood where Latasha lived had been killed were already nearing boiling point and her death and the subsequent sentence of Du did nothing to alleviate the issues. WebSecurity-camera footage which showed Harlins attempt to pay for the juice and the subsequent scuffle between the two women convinced a jury to find Du guilty of voluntary WebIts been 30 years since the death of Latasha Harlins, and through the efforts of her family and a new documentary, South Central Los Angeles is embracing her legacy in a new way. The same month that King was beaten, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by a store clerk in South Central Los Angeles. Do you find this information helpful? Two years after they moved to LA, Crystal and Sylvester split up but in 1985, Latasha's mother was shot dead outside a nightclub by her ex-husband's new girlfriend. [29] However, while tensions had exponentially increased because of the killing of Harlins, they were built on existing conflict that had been present in the community. In 1982, when Latasha was six years old, her father took a job in a steel foundry while her mother worked as a waitress in a local tavern. But her testimony was contradicted by the statements of the two witnesses present at the time, as well as the store's security camera video, which showed Du shooting Harlins in the back of the head as she turned away from Du and attempted to leave the store. Her death happened thirteen days after the videotape of the Rodney King beating was released. She started to rebel and their relationship turned sour. Latasha Harlins voice isnt heard in the film. The streets erupted in protests and riots, fire and gunshots. Click here to sign up for our email newsletter and get the weeks top stories delivered straight to your inbox. She decided to ask some young black girlsmost of them the daughters or relatives of friendsto reenact moments from Harlins childhood. Harlins turned to walk away when Du took out a gun and fired. [29] While the jury convicted Du of manslaughter, which normally carries a maximum of 16 years in prison, the judge, Joyce Karlin, commuted her sentence to probation and a $500 finethis angered many in the black community, as well as other community members, who felt that the sentencing set a dangerous precedent. I think we have a very long way to go. The reaction to Harlins killing was quick and bitter. WebLatasha Harlins was killed just a few years after her mother was shot dead in a South-Central L.A. nightclub. Judge Karlin suggested that there were mitigating circumstances in the killing of Harlins. I wanted them to feel comfortable being themselves and not feeling that they had to perform, she says. Allison began applying for grantsand getting several rejectionsin 2017. [32], In 1984, seven years before Harlins was shot, an editorial was posted in a black community newspaper urging a boycott of Korean stores, saying that any black person who went to their stores was a 'traitor'. However, two eyewitnesses who were in the shop at the same time denied the conversation and instead claimed Du had called 15-year-old Latasha a "witch" and accused her of trying to shoplift. What do you make of police violence and racism continuing to rob Black girls of their childhoods and, in some cases, their lives? There is no space held for what it means when a Black girl is threatened, when a Black girl is accosted, when a Black girl does not feel safe and does not have protection. A state appeals court later unanimously upheld Judge Karlin's sentencing decision, 30, on April 21, 1992, about a week before the LA riots. In memory, especially when trauma is involved, details are blurry, she notes. So for me, its always about creating a secret language for other Black girls, so that they know they are seen, they know that their existence is important, they know that there are other people believing in them, supporting them, rooting for them. We explained what we were doing, Allison says, and she let us film her daughters with the girl we had playing Latasha that day.. Footage showed him being brutally beaten. Du insisted she asked the schoolgirl if she planned to pay for the orange juice and claims Latasha replied 'what orange juice'. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Proceedings held in Compton were marked by confrontations between Dus supporters and backers of Harlins family. She will die in front of your eyes.. And so it just became this collective moment of everyone wanting to remember Latasha together, of all these different moments in time connecting for us to share this story. And Id love to help them create that.. The youngsters, who were at the store to buy hair gel for their mother, said Du had falsely accused Harlins of trying to steal a $1.79 bottle of orange juice, then after a scuffle threw a stool at Harlins and shot her as the teen-ager walked away. Korean grocer Soon Ja Du in court, after she fatally shot Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. Latasha Harlins was killed just a few years after her mother was shot dead in a South-Central L.A. nightclub. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiw6Q9-lfXc&has_verified=1. She picked the juice up from the floor, where it had fallen, placed it on the counter, and walked away. She wanted to be a lawyer. How do I challenge traditional rules of documentary so that Latasha can live in her fullness, and show evidence that she existed?. She pulled the trigger and Harlins hit the floor. erupted in protests and riots, fire and gunshots. But she didn't belong [on the bench] anyway. Under cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that the blows from the husband probably were not as forceful as those attributed to Harlins. Du was released. Bryant and Harlins, like so many Black girls in America, have had their lives reduced to the circumstances of their deaths, as videos and images of their final moments continue to circulate for the world to see. [39] The sentencing of Soon Ja Du reflected that of the police officers who beat Rodney King. She pitched her idea for a video about Harlins life to her employer, the news website Fusion (now called Splinter). Time now for StoryCorps. Joyce Karlin, the judge on the trial disagreed and overruled the jury's decision. PDN Subscribers get instant access to this site for FREE. Just get on with what you want to do and make the pictures you want to make. She had picked up a bottle of orange juice and put it in her backpack and owner, Du, immediately though she was trying to steal it. They lived near 89th St. and Broadway, just a few blocks from where Latasha would be killed ten years later.[7][8]. Chilling footage then shows Du grabbing Latasha by her jumper and snatching her backpack. Fueling the tension of the neighborhood was a never-ending onslaught of city-sponsored surveillance violence. [16], On November 15, 1991, a jury found that Du's decision to fire the gun was fully within her control and that she fired the gun voluntarily. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards. [21] Furthermore, Karlin deemed that Du's capacity to act rationally in the situation was undermined by her experience with past robberies. This tension, along with the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police on March 3, 1991, became a catalyst for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Sixteen-year-old Bryant was shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, Latasha's parents' marriage was not a happy one and she, along with her younger siblings, had seen her father attack Crystal. A Love Song for Latasha was nominated for an Oscar. Im hoping that people really begin to engage with new ways of discussing Black trauma. Tupac dedicated his song, Keep Ya Head Up, to Latasha Harlins. Harlins, after telling Du she intended to pay for the juice, hit the grocer twice in the face as Du held onto her clothing, the witness said. However, the officers involved in Rodney King's arrest were re-tried. The riots lasted for almost a week and were, in part, triggered when four police officers were acquitted of using excessive force when they arrested Rodney King. The judges decision exacerbated racial tensions between African Americans and Korean immigrants. Harlins responded by lifting up her hand, which contained two dollar bills, and explained that she intended to pay. We did our best to pay just about everyone who was a part of the crew, and some people did it out of love, Allison says. She will die in front of your eyes. The graphic images of the killing of 15-year-old Harlins, captured by a security camera inside the Empire Liquor They called her name as they set fire to hundreds of Korean-owned businesses. She says: How do we reimagine archives of black women and black girls when the archives are erased or discarded, or only focused on their trauma? Its been 30 years since the death of Latasha Harlins, and through the efforts of her family and a new documentary, South Central Los Angeles is embracing her legacy in a new way. The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. When you say dismantling the root, what do you think that looks like? Surveillance video captured the shooting. A Love Song for Latasha premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in late April, and was screened at the AFI Docs festival in June. The best-known fact about Harlins, whose friends and family called her Tasha, is that she was killed over a $1.79 bottle of juice. Allison filmed throughout 2017 and the winter of 2018. When interesting scenes happened in front of them, we felt Latashas spirit with us, she says. She stated, "Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? "I don't have a granddaughter. . Tasha died. The hardest part about losing Latasha was not having that older protective sister that I had. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. You bitch, you are trying to steal my orange juice, the boy quoted Du as saying when Harlins approached the stores counter with currency in her hand and the bottle of juice halfway protruding from her backpack. She didn't do nothing! After they had scouted a church they wanted to film, they returned just as the deacons wife was walking in with her two young daughters. Only two weeks before Latasha Harlins walked into Dus Empire Liquor Market, a black man named Rodney King was pulled over by four LAPD officers, three of whom were white, for speeding. cultfacts 1.6K 31 dethb0y 3 days ago NSFW 4 dead including 3 teens in murder-suicide khou 1.5K 148 AmethystOrator 7 days ago NSFW After he came to, Billy then phoned the emergency services to say there had been an attempted robbery at the store. It is a fictionalized account of the killing of Latasha Harlins and the effects on both her family and the family of the shooter. And she had the money in her hand to pay the lady. Thanks for signing up! BUY THE MOVIE: in reference to the Korean War. We encountered an issue signing you up. Latasha, 15, was shot in the back of the head by a Korean woman who owned a South Los Angeles liquor store. But she realized that to tell Harlins story, she needed to break free of everything Ive been taught about documentary work. 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